Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
These delicious gluten-free red velvet cupcakes look as beautiful as they taste. They offer a velvety soft, moist crumb along with a tangy, sweet cream cheese frosting. Perfection!
4ouncescream cheese1/2 package, softened to room temperature
1/4cupbuttersoftened to room temperature
3/4cuppowdered sugar
1-2tablespoonsmilk or cream
1teaspoonvanilla extract
Instructions
For the Batter:
Preheat your oven to 350º F. Add paper cupcake liners to a 12-cavity muffin pan. Set aside.
Combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk until combined.
Add the oil, milk, eggs, and vinegar to a separate bowl or large measuring cup. Whisk the ingredients together until combined.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well with a spatula. Add red food dye (optional) if you want the cupcakes to be red vs. brown and incorporate the dye into the batter.
Bake the cupcakes for 20-23 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. (For mini cupcakes, bake for 18-22 minutes.)
Allow the cupcakes to fully cool on a wire rack before adding the frosting. You could add slightly cooled cupcakes to the fridge to speed up the cooling process.
For the Frosting:
Add the cream cheese and butter to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, about five minutes.
Add the powdered sugar, milk (1 tablespoon at a time), and vanilla extract. Mix on low until the powdered sugar is incorporated, then mix on high until it reaches a thick but spreadable consistency, about three minutes. If it's too thick, add a splash more milk; if it's too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Use a piping bag to pipe the cream cheese frosting on top. You could also use a butter knife to spread the frosting on top.
Notes
Storing Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. The cupcakes will stay moist and tender for up to 4-6 days after they're baked.Choosing a Gluten-Free Flour: I've used both Better Batter All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour and Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. Both flours offer a blend of rice flours, starches, and xanthan gum and work well to mimic the texture of gluten in baked goods. Be sure your flour blend contains xanthan gum, or add 1/2 teaspoon of it to the dry ingredients.Dairy-Free Option: I suggest using dairy-free milk like almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, or cashew milk for the batter and frosting. You could also make a dairy-free cream cheese frosting using dairy-free cream cheese (if you can find it). Alternatively, I recommend omitting the cream cheese altogether and replacing it with dairy-free vegan butter sticks, like those from Earth Balance. This will result in a buttercream vs. cream cheese frosting, but it will still be delicious.Egg-Free Option: I have made this recipe without eggs with excellent results. I recommend either using an egg replacer or flaxseed eggs. One flaxseed egg equals one tablespoon of flaxseed meal + three tablespoons of warm water. (For this recipe, you'll need to make two flax eggs, so use two tablespoons of flaxseed meal + six tablespoons of warm water.) Combine the flax and water and allow it to gel for five minutes at room temperature, then use it in lieu of eggs.Cocoa Powder: Originally, when making red velvet cakes, the red color would come from the reaction of the vinegar or buttermilk with the natural cocoa. Today, however, most store-bought cocoa powder is Dutch-processed or alkalized, preventing this red reaction. You may notice your cupcakes are more brown than red, which is what I generally find. This is why I add food coloring to my batter.Food Coloring: For a long time, I struggled with the idea of adding food coloring to my batter, but truth be told, I got over it and now have no issue using food coloring from time to time.I recommend using a gel food coloring for the most vibrant addition of color. If using natural food coloring, you'll need a lot more of it, and your cupcakes may still be more brown than red. Alternatively, some red velvet cake recipes say you could use beetroot powder to color your cupcakes, but I'm unsure if it will work. Some say the reaction between the beetroot powder and the acid in the batter will still result in a brownish cupcake.Sprinkles on Top: I added red sparkling sugar to add more beauty to the already stunning cupcake.